Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Team Hope Flare
by Puniful-TeaKat
Summary: A small clever pichu finds herself in a guild after the Demon King destroyed her home. She does the best she can, and all she can do is hope that it's enough. With a heart burning brightly, can she bring prosperity to the darkness? Accepting OCs, Rated T for violence and light gore, language, and a few suggestive themes.
1. Chapter 1

**Pokemon Mystery Dungeon:** _Team Hope Flare_

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The stench of sulfur and smoke choked the air, heavy and like a fog. Creatures attacked eachother, both bloodlust and fear running through their veins, just that and adrenaline keeping them awake. Corpses laid everywhere, some charred badly enough to be completely unrecognizable in any way. Blood leaked into little puddles of the red liquid and destruction from the once there buildings and walls decorated the grounds.

Claws dug into flesh, screams still rung in the air and fire licked and bit everything it could. The ugly scent of rotting and burning bodies filled the air, smelling disgusting with a tang of ironic sweetness. Demonic battle cries came from the creatures with one jet black and one blood red eye, disturbingly fitting the scene of carnage. Victims ran, although many not lucky enough to escape the beaks and jaws of those sided with evil and be torn to shreds.

A small pichu shivered and huddled in a corner, frightened terribly but unable to close her round violet eyes to the ongoing massacre. She was the only one left that she knew of- the onslaught had mostly stop, or so she gathered from the eerie, sick silence. She didn't know if she wanted to be more scared or relieved. Beasts walked by, looking for any forms of life at all, slicing and ripping anything that made them even the slightest bit suspicious.

Drops fell down her short pale fur, making tearstreaks but she didn't dare even breath unless she needed to. She forced her body still, not twitching a single muscle unless they were asleep. The instinctive idea to run was out of the question- the enemy was everywhere, searching for more meals. She hated being alive- she remembered everything, and the desolate, lonely cries and moans she had heard earlier made her want to hug them and die with them, but she had to stay alive, to tell a guild about this or at least somebody who could do something.

Soon dusk lifted and brought a light drizzle to muffle the last flames of the night to accompany the new dawn. Terror wracked both her body and mind cold- telling her to wait still, even as the heavy footsteps of monsters started to fade. Her throat started to tickle from all her shallow breathing, and she knew what would happen. She would cough, and be heard. Things would go quickly south from there.

Quickly, in the heat of the moment and before she could cough, she made a wild dash with her four small limbs in attempt to cross the street. A arbok with red and black eyes slithered after her with a predatory glint in his eyes, swift but waiting to strike while enjoying the horrified mouse's nervous stumbling and terrified thick fear scent. The large snake was merely playing with the child, but quickly becoming bored.

She had a plan in mind, even though it was very risky for her tastes and it could kill her if she didn't execute it perfectly, along with the vile thing following her. A small smile, only the tiniest of them mind you, grew on her face when she saw it.

"I won't be eaten by you!" She yelled at the big dumb arbok as they started to near edge of the cliff, trying to recreate as much fear as she could in her body to fool the stupid purple damnanation.

"Oh isssss that what you think? Little one, I will have my sssssnack!" He growled and lunged again and again as she barely avoided his poison full fangs. The sickly foggy blue liquid dropped on the course orangish rock, sizzling loudly as it hit. They were still several feet from the edge, and the heat that the poison gave off reminded her all the more of the need to do it all perfectly.

"I-I don't want to die!" She squeaked out and scrambled up, pretending to be desperate while being completely calm inside. He lunged again, and she dodged, feeling the air draft from bellow and heard the rocks that crumbled whistle and fall with a plop into water much, much farther bellow.

"You are pure! I WILL have you, stupid pichu!" Threatened the snake with a wild look, and glared at her. The moment she removed her soft round foot from the edge, time slowed down almost and the blood roared in her ears. She felt the rush of being on the brink of death and felt lighter than air, a unexpected thrill. The mouse used her tail to snag in the rock, painfully locking her in place as she used her momentum to grab the arbok oddly but still gave him enough weight to fall over the edge and down thousands of feet. Since he already had his neck stretched out to snag her at the last moment, he wasn't able to reel back fast enough and react.

His furious screech echoed down the canyon, the hatred and bloodlust in his voice chilling her to the bone. Even so, she had bigger problems to worry about. Her tail was still stuck in the rock, and she could see some blood trickle down it. Sighing, she pulled her self up after a long struggle and pulled her tail free.

The pichu found a rare find, a good thing in a million bad things. A Nanab tree, which were rare but their fruit delicious and sweet. She took off her small bag that she made at the moment's notice that the city was being attacked. It held anything she thought was useful or could be a help. It was honestly a very tiny bag, but that was because she was down right small, even for a pichu.

She went over to a near by pond and stared at her reflection sadly. She was covered in ash and blood, her pale fur now mostly mix shades of a weird baby yellow and charcoal grey, with dried blood all on one side. Her big, curious purple orbs glanced back at her. Her ears didn't look hurt- thankful the spikey ear wasn't either. She rather liked that ear. After sighing, she thought of what a mess she was, ignoring the predicament at hand.

"I am Aki. I saw what happened. Why? Riddle me that." She said to her own reflection bitterly after her fuzzy fur was all clean. A tear rolled down her face, but she made herself stop before she started.

Aki felt lonesome, but didn't even ponder the idea of looking for somebody. She didn't want to be tricked or hurt by one of the hellish creatures called Demons, but they're only called that because they don't have a scientific name. Demons, as Aki was taught, were creatures whom sold their souls to the Demon King for one wish. He would grant your wish in whichever way he either thought would benefit him in some way, or a way to raise hell. No one knew his actual form or species, just that he would whisper to you in your dreams of a better life for the troubled person, and grant their hurried wishes. Of course, the moment their contract was finished, he turned them into his puppets to do his biddings.

That was the direct way to become a Demon, although there were a few other ways. Like the reason their eyes changed color: they were corrupted with insanity and lost will to live themself but still had strong desires. Or, if you were heavily injured but not killed, you could become one yourself without the right treatment. If you drink water contaminated by them, and don't wash out your entire system, it could happened just as easily.

There was also three classes of Demons: Lows, Intelligent, and Blessed. Lows were the much more common ones, the ones who lost will or somehow contaminated by them. The arbok was a Low, which was why he was so easy to trick and how he was so overcome by lust.

Intelligent Demons were much worse than Lows. The Intelligent were ones directly made into Demons by the D.K. (Demon King) and were also smarter, they loved to play with their prey a lot more than Lows. They were stronger, and most of the time completely evolved. They were hard sometimes to make out from regular pokemon, but it could be done.

Now, Blessed were either legendary beings or semi at least. They were the generals, she guessed, of the D.K. and rarely did anybody ever live through a encounter with one. They were said to nearly be on par with the D.K., but that was just a lot of rumors.

Aki smiled at the pile of Nanab fruits in front of her, the pile easily as all as she was. She peeled one and ate the soft part inside, the yummy sweetness flooding her senses with the twinge of slight bitter aftertaste. She ate her fill and packed what she could in her meager bag, and hid her trash so nobody could find her.

After that, she curled up in a blanket at the base of the tree and fell asleep quickly. Unfortunately, she had the displeasure of dreaming deeply in night mares of the day previous and she woke in a cold sweat and scared to her core.

The next day around the 12 in sweltering noon, she wandered in the direction she had thought was vaguely north by her spikey it. It had very keen directional perception, and she never got lost unless people wouldn't be quiet down.

She ignored the memories and terrified thoughts, focusing on everything around her and the way she was trying to go. After all, she still had to tell SOMEONE about it. Anybody would do, really. She was so lonely, it didn't really matter as long as they weren't out to hurt her.

Her eyes slowly crept up to a tall cactus beside her. Well... It was alive and uh, breathing... She shook the thought from her head, feeling stupid. Sighing, she carried on and hoped her general direction was good enough to get her to the next town over, Calica Town. Calica Town was beautiful, full of life, and more importantly to her; full of strong pokemon.

Hours ticked by as her poor, abused soft feet trudged forward at a slow, sllllllooooow rate that couldn't even beat a Slowpoke to the other side of the road. To put it simply, Aki was totally exhausted and sore all over. She missed her heavenly bed which seemed like a dream now... So much had happened... She still couldn't believe she was the only one alive left...

Before her heart broke and her mind took a turn for the worse, she leapt on all fours and ran as fast as her tiny legs could take her. About an hour later she saw Calica Town in the distance and put an extra umph in her speed even while she died inside, wanting to drop dead and lay there.

When she entered the town, she saw actual people and smiled. She had forgot in the heat and boringness and the blood and the rage, that of the safety she felt around others. Some avoided her a bit- the dirt covered pichu wasn't a everyday sight. Muttering crossly, she asked around for directions to the Town's guild.

It took what felt like ages, but she found the stone steps that led to the freaking ginormous mountain with a big hole in it that she decided was an entrance. Walking up to the blue booth next to the entrance, she caught the attention of the pokemon on guard.

"Hiya!" She greeted to the stranger in the box cheerfully, as being around so many living things had made her happy.

"Whoa. What happened to you, kid?" Asked the sandslash in the box, taken aback by the odd pichu covered in dirt. He didn't really know what to make of her- she had a spikey ear and violet eyes, which he hadn't ever saw on a pichu before. Not that there were many, but he had seen a few before. She had several cuts and bruises, with sorrow and hate deep in her eyes, like she had experienced something that would forever shadow her heart.

"I'd like a momentary visitor's pass to explain that to your guild master, if you wouldn't mind. I'm Aki," she spoke quietly but barely loud enough to be heard. The sandslash nodded, hoping only the best for the abnormal electric type.

"I'm Riplie! Pleasure to meet you. I hope you get what you need", he called after she dashes, the slip of paper delicately placed in her mouth.

A few heads turned as the pichu came in, scared slightly and stiff. Not many really cared too much.

It was a huge hole in the dirt, with long wooden tables on the flat ground which held many pokemon, drunk or not. A large pond outlined with round stones sat in the front center of the room, and a few water types lounged leisurely and hung out. A board with paper pinned to it sat in a corner, a few small groups surrounding it and talking about something. Near the board was a festive looking stall with a bright faced cheerful Cherrim maning the station with some chairs around it.

Aki timidly scampered up to the Cherrim, hopping and barely making the high jump into the chair.

"Hellllllllo! I'm Cherrim, what do you need, little one?" The flower like pokemon chirped with a big smile on her sun yellow face.

"U-um... I think... I have... Information for... The guild master here", she squeaked as she felt a twinge of annoyance bubble. They were the same size, nearly! It wasn't her fault she was a pichu!

"Mm? Are you really sure?" The pokemon had doubt in her big black eyes. Aki was liking the grass type less, and less. And not only that, the Small Mouse pokemon was fed up with holding it all in, not to mention that... That the horrible massacre was being doubted? Oh no, oh heeeeeeell no.

"YES! OF COURSE I AM!" Yelled Aki, unintentional though. Rage boiled and she bit her tongue before lashing out: that would obviously not help her.

"I BET YOU JUST WANT TO BUG MASTER!"

"I HAVE BETTER THINGS TO DO!"

"SO YOU THINK YOU'RE BETTER THAN MY MASTER?"

"What? No- I just have extremely urgent business. It might mean the lives of many, I don't know. Please just tell me?"

Heads turned and puzzled people stared, wondering silently after all the commotion we made.

"Fine, fine. Don't get your tail in a twist, tot. I was only wondering because the guild master already gets enough stupid requests as I am sure yours is gonna be. It's the large set of doors across from here", she boredly pointed and left to deal with a customer.

'You have no idea how wrong you are', inwardly growled the mouse as she held her usual temper. People's heads left and went back to whatever they had been doing.

She took a breath before opening the door to find a huge green scaled dinosaur like pokemon with a large blossom coming out its back. The guild master had many, many old war scars littering its back and it held a royal expression. A odd air of power surrounded it, but the coal black pair of eyes held a very gentle gleam and its smile was kind.

"Hello, young one. I am Lori, master of the Den, otherwise... This grand guild. Do you have a problem? It is sadly not rare that people need our services these days- what's wrong?" Boomed the venasaur's voice, now sure it belonged to a female.

Tears started falling down her little face, the emotions she had been keeping so well in check starting to come back as the mere memory started to shake her. After some soft but firm encouragement, the pichu looked up at the master and calmed herself. She inwardly slapped herself. She couldn't afford to lose herself in such bad times.

"I... I'm Aki. You see... I lived in Menti Village and got attacked yesterday- I think anyway. I feel sort of disoriented right now- by the Demon King's troops. As far as I-I know... I am the only surviving pokemon from the onslaught. It was so... So very sudden... I was protected by my- hic- my family until they- hic... were... Murdered. I ran away and came here since its the closest town I knew how to reach. I... Just wanted to let it be known and that the Demon King has started again...", Aki let her body do the talking as she remembered it and forced herself to stop hiccuping and sobbing dryly. She would be strong. For them, her loved ones.

"That... Is very unsettling. I am sorry, child, that you were forced to go through that. It is very unfortunate. I'd like you to stay the night here, and recover. I'd gladly allow you to join our guild if you so chose, and I will help if you chose something else as well."

"Don't... Don't be sorry. You didn't do it. You didn't even... Even know about it. But I don't wish to-" her reject was cut short as a fine mist of blue twinkling spores surrounded her and she fell dead asleep.

The venasaur sighed, feeling like it was indeed her own fault. The Demon King's forces had thought to have been defeated a long, long time ago and only the remains were left, or so they had thought. She was surprised greatly at her own stupidity. The few past years everywhere had increasingly started to become involved with darkness. But to pull such a bold move! Lori was deeply upset, she had even had a few old aquaintances that had lived there.

Her eyes traveled to the unusual pichu who slept soundly, her cute face blank and devoid of emotion at the moment. The poor thing... That was something not a single soul should ever be forced to go through. And yet she was still fighting? Lori thought she and her guild would like this Aki very much indeed, if she did chose to join. She really hoped she would.

"Lester!" She snapped irritatedly and the poor Pidgeotto flew into a saluting position.

"Yes, master?" The bird cocked its head, staring curiously at the limp thing on the floor.

"Find her a room and tell Audrey to go check up on her in the morning. Got it?"

"Yes!" Lester gently placed the small thing on his back, aware of the notched ear that tickled the feathers on the back of his head. He took off, wondering what Lori had planned this time. She was very wise, but liked to not tell others of her plans... Except for that gay psychic, of course.

He found a small empty room and ever so careful left her on the bed, who seemed to be having a horrible dream by the expression and tears leaking.

**- The next morning -**

Aki woke up after falling face first into the floor, wondering where she was. The last thing she remembered... Talking to the guild master? She probably collapsed after so much stress and effort. She made a mental note to thank the kind pokemon, she felt like she hadn't slept on a bed in decades.

Aki climbed sloppily back onto the white basic bed, and made it with some work.

Somebody rapped on the door, causing her to have nothing short of a panic attack. A pink and yellow, nicely pump woman with ocean blue eyes opened the door bluntly.

"Hello? I'm Audrey, a doctor. Lori asked me to take a look at you."

Aki came out from hiding under the bed, calmly like nothing had happened. She had to think for a moment, but recognized Audrey to be a Audino, a sweetie who was one of the few healing class pokemon in the world.

Aki was tense at first, but relaxed shortly after the examination of the doctor started. She was a bit slow around her spikey ear, because she wasn't used to it at all. When Audrey looked at her tail, which hurt like bloody flames to Aki, she bandaged it after numbing it. Nothing else was hurt, besides the mental trauma.

"You'll have a small V shaped rip in your tail, but it won't do anything to you. Your healthy besides that, and I was told to bring you to the meeting room. Are you ready to go?" The kind woman question, her eyes on the strange mouse who nodded her head slightly.

'I wonder what's gonna happen...', Thought Aki curiously.

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**Author's Note: Hey everyone! Thanks sososososososo much for reading! I'd love it even more if you'd king review! **

**Don't worry about A Falling Feather, I promise to keep up the pace! (Or die trying)**

**Oc Form Time!:**

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**** Team Form

Team Name:

Team Leaders and Members (Up to three, no more please!):

Their Genders and Respective Specie:

Leader's Personality:

Member One's:

Member Two's:

Level Range? (Example would be like 20-25):

History of the Team:(May be alters to fit story but nothing too much I promise!)

Other (Such as their team Signature, ect):

* * *

**Form for singular Character's:**

**Name:**

**Age & Gender:**

**Species:**

**Personality:**

**History: **

**Would they like to join or make a team? Or maybe work a job in guild?:**

**Other:**

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**_Mission Form:_****  
**

Job Description: (Such as eliminate Demons or find a item, ect)

Requesters:

Reward:

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**Thanks guys! Love yall, R&R!**

**Nyan is out!**


	2. Chapter 2

Hey everyone! I've been writing like a crazy person because of all your awesome review! I think it got a 100 views and 10 reviews on the first day! You all have nooooo idea how happy that made me, so I decided to finish the second chapter lickity split!

Thanks to you, my awesome readers and reviewers, and those who sent OCs! If you'd like to send anything in, look on my profile for it! And I didn't forget Falling Feather! I promise! Wah... And thanks to my friends on the forum too, you know who you are XD. Alrighty, I'll shut up now and let yall folks read~ -

The sun came up lazily, and Aki turned over on her small bed. It was Saturday. She could sleep in.

Aki stayed in a drowsy half-asleep state for a while, until a glass shattering shriek cut through the air. She shot awake, with her heart pounding heavily. Loud arguing came from downstairs of her parents, so came down slowly, hoping everything was okay.

"We have to leave!" Yelled her father in a panicky tone. His spiky, unkept fur stood in irratic angles and it buzzed lightly with electricity. His coal colored eyes were big and narrowed, scared yet completely enraged.

"We can't do that, Volts. You know that!" Her mother's lighter voice shook, with matching emotions. The bolt shaped tail of hers stood straight and sparks came from her yellow cheeks. Her sunburnt short orange fur crackled with visible currents running through it.

"What other choice do we have?" Her father begged, quivering slightly.

"Fight."

"We can't take them all!" Roared the jolteon, raw with his feeling and a tear fell down his furry face, causing a tiny electric shock.

"We have to try!" Encouraged her mother, determined about something which Aki tried to keep out of her mind as far as possible.

"Mom? What's the matter?" -

Aki was led into a big meeting room with some of the strongest pokemon she had ever seen sit around the circular round wood table all chatting and talking jolly and loud. She stared in awe as Lori stomped heavily and everybody shut up. She waved a vine, and politely asked the nurse like pokemon to leave.

She cleared her voice, and all attention was on the massive grass type. "Hello, everyone. It's been ages since I saw you last, since the wars died out with the Demon King. We hoped he had stopped his horrid acts, but quite recently tells us diffrent. Aki, please tell everyone what happened I know its hard, but we would like it if you'd describe it the best you could."

The small mouse felt like an ant in the presence of those around her, but quickly and clumsily climbed the wood table to start telling them her story. They all laughed with a slight edge at her whenever she almost fell, although it wasn't because of her and thankfully she was perceptive enough to know it. They were terrified of the jet black and ruby red eyes returning.

Her voice wasn't very loud, but the room was so silent you could hear a feather drop. It took a moment, but Aki gathered all the courage she could and told of the disaster that turned her life now upside down. When she had gotten to the part when she was being chased by the arbok, she broke down but a umbreon with a gentle smile pet her head, comforting her and encouraged her to go on.

'That's right... They were in my shoes once apon a time...' She told herself and forced herself to go on. By the time she finished, she was softly ushered out of the room so she didn't break out in tears again. The same umbreon followed her, telling them to go on without him.

Aki felt numb again, and sat dully against the mud brick wall. She just couldn't help it... She felt so weak in her heart. The mouse mulled it over in her head, not making a sound.

"Hey brat, you okay?" Stiffly asked the dark type. Aki could tell he wasn't used to kids, but his heart was kind and it meant nothing but good. She nodded, not trusting herself to say anything but stared at his red eyes. For some reason, the blood red orbs didn't scare her, even while they were nearly the same shade as the Demons' whom destroyed all she vet knew. Maybe the Demons had a power to invoke fear?

"H-hey midget, say something!" He growled lightly with a gruff tone. He didn't like her being so quiet, as she seemed like a somewhat happy child, like he once was even after it all.

Her eyes got wide and shone with tears about to break free, and she hiccuped, staring at him innocently.

"N-now don't with start the waterworks, you damn brat!" He said, panicked and wondered what to do. He froze, afraid when she grabbed one of his long, night cloaked ear. What could he do? What should he do?

Then, she blew her nose into it while she hugged it like a stuffed animal.

"Hey! Brat! Stop!" He yelled choppily while running in circles, hoping she would get off his ear. And seriously! Snot on his ear was disgusting. This went on for twenty minutes, until Audrey came back and saw the scene. She had one of the most murderous faces that a doctor could make, and a scary grin with a twitching blue eye.

"FRAU! WHAT IN THE NAME OF MEW ARE YOU DOING TO MY CLIENT!" The audino suddenly flew across the hall and hit the dark type with her body, sending him quite literally up and out the window screaming bloody murder.

The pink pokemon checked over Aki worriedly while the smaller one of the two tried to calm her down.

"I thought those in the medical business weren't allowed to fight, Ms. Audrey? Uh- Ms. Audrey?" The pichu suddenly found herself very much alone. Not to mention lost.

She looked around a few corners, feeling the cold, worn packed dirt under her paws wherever she went. After about 10 minutes of wandering, she found the audino healing a blaziken with a long scar running the length of his feathery vibrant forearm. Her paws hovered over the ugly wound, a fine mist of golden and sliver pollens shimmering in the air around them like a thick fog. The blaziken's face was twisted in pain as he kneeled, but he didn't utter a peep as a black-blue substance that looked almost solid crawled out of his scar like a fat worm, and the moment the entire gross glob form left his arm, it turned to ash and fell to the ground in a small pile.  
The fire-bird's expression was lessened, and his features relax. A small smirk grew on his face as the beautiful colorful bits disappeared, and the two stood up.

"Thanks, Doc. Had some trouble with a Ursaring and he had a specially cloaked claw rake my arm. Hurt like a son of a lotad. You're a great healer, alright."

"Aww, you're so kind. Now hurry along, Riplie is waiting on you!" Audrey exclaimed while waving, smiling as the blaziken left.

"Ms. Audrey? What was that form of healing?" Aki questioned, had never once saw that weird glowing method of treatment.

The older pokemon just winked knowingly and pet the pichu's head. "Do you want to join this guild, the Den, Aki?"

The light mood had become serious and the pichu pondered it. She had thought of it, of course, but hadn't decided entirely. Even while it was a extremely tempting option, she was beyond lost and scared since the... attack. But... she also wanted to save others from the horrible ball of hate, rage, and self pity in the base of her stomach that she felt. Getting stronger would be good too, so she could protect herself and friends if she made any.

At the rate she was going at, getting friends would be much harder than making enemies. Especially that mean grass type. The type of person Aki hated most were those who's actions were nice, but their personalities were a general load of crap. The flower's eyes had venom in them and she wouldn't be surprised if she would've join the forces of D.K. if the guild master hadn't impressed her somehow.

"I... I would certainly like to," Aki delivered her awnser, and felt herself being picked up and brought into a hug. The pichu was startled and yelped, completely surprised with her short yellow fur bristling in the sudden move.

"What are you doing," she spoke not in the form of a question, but a statement with a blank look hiding her confusion.

"Taking you to your room~," sang the audino, and began going up some stairs with the mouse in her arms. Said mouse didn't even want ask what it was about, somewhat scared of the awnser and of her captor's scary happy voice.

Aki had suspicions that the guild master knew she was gonna join, or something of the like. A ball of nervousness weighted her head down, but she decided to change the subject.

"W-what happened to that umbreon? I think his name was... Erm..."

"Frau? He's one of the best explores we have here, even if he is a pervert," the older pokemon sighed as if remembering something bothersome.

'P-pervert?' Aki pondered worriedly. She never met a pervert before, and she wasn't sure what they did. Her mom once told her they stalked children and did unthinkable things to them, and her older half brother said they were pedophiles. Her step dad didn't even want to breach the subject and forbade his 'pichu angel' from any more questions.

She didn't even notice when her small frame was set on a fluffy bed and the healer left quietly, closing the wood door as swiftly as a seviper. Aki only snapped out of her daze when a familiar look-a-like pokemon lightly poked her gently wrapped tail, shivering with displeasure and instinctively pulled her black square-like tail close to her.

"Hiya! I'm Tea! Who are you?" Kindly asked the white electric squirl with a blue line that went down her spine and ended up being spikes on the end of her puffy tail and soft yellow cheeks sat like Aki's own.

"Aki. I'm a new student... I think. Why'd you touch my tail?" She tilted her head at her new roommate, feeling if only slightly bitter. A damaged tail being touched didn't feel good in any case, and she didn't appreciate it.

"Ah... Sorry, but nothing else I did would take you out of your weird trance! I'm a student too! They gather rookies for a year, and at a certain point of the year they hold a test, to examine if your the right material for the guild! Then you train until you and your team are considered elites, and you graduate to finish becoming a first rate rescue team! It's all pretty cool, huh?"

'Man...' Aki grumbled in her head. 'Tea is one hell of a chatter box... But I don't think it's too bad.'

"Oh! I came from the eastern woods area! I used to live in Lain Village, but I got kinda bored of it. So I came and asked to join the Test Races here! I've been eating healthy and running-"

'Or not.'

"What are the Test Races?" Aki asked the taller electric type, having not heard of it.

"You haven't heard of it? It's a pretty popular term. The Test Races are about the massive number of pokemon that come here for the test every year. It's a really big feat to get into the Den, it's one of the best in the world. They only pick the cream of the crop, and it takes skill and talent to get there!" The pachirisu jumped up and down and landed on her own bed of Mareep fluff and she sighed happily, thinking.

Before she knew it, Aki fell asleep in the soft bed of fluff which was a lot alike a bean bag but it fit her short size perfectly. The mouse didn't realize just how tired she was- both mentally and physically from slowly recovering from her injuries even just in the afternoon. Soon she melted into dreams, and slept.

-+ Dream Start +-

The stench of blood hit her senses, and the scene in front of her sent her mind reeling back. A tower of skulls sat before her, with two thrones of ebony with plants of black vine growing around them and delicately through the washed out bones to decorate and fit the picture. Dead creatures laid around her, recently killed and smelled absolutely awful. Some were mutated beyond recognition, while others looked so hauntingly familiar that pained her heart.

The sky was completely black, pitch as it could possibly be. A calm, spiteful red sun hung in the air and murky purple clouds floated in the sky lazily. Stars sat in the sky, cold and far, far away. The very ground she stood one was covered in ash and old, forgotten bones.

She wanted to throw up and cry, for everything here was just too much. It was dreadful, in simple wording. Even being there felt like a sin. Aki's head spun and her mind didn't want to accept everything surrounding her. She wondered silently if it was hell- maybe.

"Hello there, little one."

The mouse froze when she heard the voice- it was chilling as a frigid iceburg and sent a fearful tingle down her spine and tail. She couldn't feel her body, she couldn't breath, she couldn't think. Her body wouldn't do anything as it was held captive, waiting on the voice. Almost dependant on it, slave to it. Nothing she tried let her regain access to her body, not a single muscle.

"Ah. You're probably wondering where and who I am. Well, now that you have control over your body," as he spoke the feeling came back to her,"I am on top of the left throne."

Distrust and curiosity fought within her, waging war fiercely. While she was scared of what could happen, curiosity got the best of her.

Her eyes climbed the tower of the unfortunate dead, finding the left throne occupied by a black mass, with a black and a red eye. Hate, rage, bloodlust, the urge to destroy everything, it all rushed through her and adrenaline pumped into her like crazy. Her heartbeat escalated maddeningly, and terror pulsed through her veins.

She was once more frozen in place, but this time of her body's own accord. She had a good guess of whom he was, and if it wasn't correct, it was very close.

"Are you the Demon King?" She hissed with narrowed eyes, unsure of what to do. It would certainly make sense if it did, but she didn't know why he would come to her especially.

To her surprise, he laughed, somehow. She didn't know how, but didn't really want to find out where his mouth was if it wasn't already in her sight.

"No. He wouldn't be a weak as I am. It's a shame really, that you fight against us," sighed the form that started to take shape into a creature she saw in myths. She had to close her eyes from the hash light, and saw it morph after the mass solidified into the nightmare giver she had been warned about. The king of dark dreams and night shadows: Darkrai.

"Mm. It's a shame that innocent families are murdered because of Demons," she counted with a hateful glare.

The Demon laughed which echoed all the way down, creepily. "Aren't you the feisty little pichu? Well, you need to sleep for tomorrow, I guess. Be a good mouse!" He said mockingly and soon, thankfully, the resting place of many faded to the call of sleep...

-* Dream Over *-

"AKI! AKI! AKI! AKI! AKI!" Yelled the overly hyper Pachirisu who was jumping inches from her.

You see, Aki was in no shape or form a 'morning person' and could be rather scary if not woken in the right way. And that, was no way or how, the right way. So Aki was indeed a bit mad.

"Get. Off. Me. Now," growled a grumpy little mouse who we all know and love. The pachirisu, however, was equally stubborn.

"I have something to tell you! Come on! Come on! Please?" Tea pleaded with big growlithe eyes.

"Tell me the damn thing that made you jump on me," demanded the clearly unhappy mouse.

"Well, you see," began the happy squirl who was about to talk nonstop," The guild master's old friend who use to be on her exploration team is coming! There's a legend that he can make the guild master irritated, which is up until now, only ever a mere thought! Besides! I heard he's gay!-"

The pichu sighed, wanting her roommate to let her go back to bed with the dead. Obviously, that was only a dream so she stopped listening to the continuous rant. Aki then remembered her chat with darkrai, king of nightmares and midnight shadows. His cold, drawn out laughter still pounded in her ears and made her tail quiver. He wanted her to join them, didn't he?

Aki decided to tell the guild master.

"What does being gay have to do with anything? One... One of my old best friends were. So what?" She challenged the pachirisu, thinking of old times somewhat.

"Oh, you'll see when we get there," replied Tea as she grinned evilly.

'Tea is starting to scare me more than the darkrai.'

"Oh, it isn't because he's gay. We're all cool with that here. He's a weirdo."

Ten minutes later Aki and Tea were in the 'living room' of sorts, both staring at the gaping hole/door. Lots of other pokemon, whom she presumed to be either young guild members or other students sat and chatted, all keeping an eye on the ugly fat whole in the wall just like they were.

A oshawott pushed her way through the crowd, using her shell like a shield. To Aki's surprise, the water type came over to the pair and plopped down, exhausted from fighting the many, many pokemon. She even noticed quite a few were from town.

"Hi Tea. That's your roomie, right?" The water type questioned, leaning against the long old worn table. Her breathing started to regulate at her big eyes traveled curiously to the pichu. Pichu were a rare enough sight, but this one's ear and eyes were diffrent.

"I'm Aki," she said tiredly. Her ears and tail drooped, and she glared at any one or anything.

"Heh... I may have woken her up a bit too brightly this morning... Aki, this is Reina. A good friend of mine, and we promised to make a exploration team together. Oh- I forgot! It's our training day! Forget the famous dude, its the day!" The pachirisu hopped off the table, remembering something very important.

Reina had a matching expression, and the pair grabbed her paws suddenly, and dashed off. Aki was forced to tag along, in their strong grips. They quickly passed many pokemon in the town and passed stalls of vibrant colors and varying nature and items that stocked the shelfs.

This went on for what seemed a tiresome forever, and the small pichu was just happy they stopped running like they were trying to escape from a prison. Aki panted hard while the other two bickered about training shifts and why it had to be this day.

None of the trio noticed when a pissed off buneary walked over, making such a evil face that made you want to cower and drop dead.

"No. Fightin'. In front. Of. My. TRAINING MEADOW!" She yelled, obviously annoyed. The brown furred pokemon's paws snapped out faster than lightning, snatching the ears of the two in shame.

Aki followed silently as she brought the other two down a staircase underground. Everything was cement, but nicely done if a bit worn on the edges by age.

"Now, what type do ya chose for now?" Said the buneary with a equally sleep deprived voice.

"Grass!" Chirpped Tea.

A loud snap cracked through the air like a gunshot, and a wooden door opened. Reina pulled Aki to come, and she found herself in a place she both feared and wanted to explore. Her eyes widened and a smug smirk grew on her yellow face, excitement sweetly running through her in a rush. She was here.

In a mystery dungeon.

Author's Note: Okay, I decided to pull a scary fast update because of all of your great, many, awesome reviews! I had so many my gmail is all mixed up X3! You guys have no idea how happy this made me! I serious was almost in TEARS! I'm happy you all liked last chapter so much!

I'm beginning to like writing the gorey scenes... It's oddly fun. All your (many) oc's will come at some point or another! I had to rewrite this a lot, but I'm happy with it. It didn't want to written right ;) but it was pretty fun writing it too. Don't forget to review! Forms for oc's and missions are on my profile!

Thanks to friends on the forum for encouraging me (and telling me to go sleep at ungodly hours in the morning. Cough, not saying who it is! Cough) if you're reading this! And, as usual, my fabulous readers and those who submitted oc's! I feel like its Christmas early for me... Hehe.  
I'm talking far too much XD! See ya in the next chapter, or if you're kind enough, replying to your reviews!  



	3. Chapter 3

**Team Hope Flare: Chapter Three**

_Recap: Aki and co. went to the Training Meadow run by a 'spirited' buneary through the grass dungeon._

* * *

The trio finally emerged to the boss floor, covered in cuts and dirt. Aki was panting like a growlithe, her small chest wanting to break and her head throbbing like it was repeatedly being hit with a hammer. Her cheeks ached with the lack of energy, feeling empty and tingling oddly. The small pichu messaged the soft pink sacs on her cheeks without realising she was doing it, just like what her mom used to do.

Tea was in the lead, Aki consentrating on the swishing large white tail going back and forward while Rina was finishing off a scrumcious blue berry: a oran berry, merrily swinging the tan bag. They were all in a jolly mood but froze as their eyes upon the scene.

A lone vileplume was dancing on the lush emerald sea of grass, singing a beautiful nonsensical lullaby, smiling at the plants around her fondly as if they were her own children. Sunlight beamed down powerfully, but a calm breeze perfected the peaceful moment.

Aki literally tripped on her own big clumsy feet, her round face landing in the ground while making a thud sound, ruining the sanctuary's prosperous echo.

"Oh... Hello... I don't know what I should do in this situation... Messed it all up..." The pokemon whispered to herself, pulling the rim of the flower down and talking to herself shyly.

"Tea! She isn't the boss, they're all knocked out cold!" Rina exclaimed, her Oshawott features alarmed and worried with her white paws pointing at a bruised bayleaf sleeping soundly and a bulbasaur half submerged in dirt and blood. He looked alive, but sickly and feverish while the bayleaf was only somewhat a unpleasant plum color on its lower half body. A bellsprout was huddling in a corner with her stringy body, shivering and shaking with convulsions.

"He... Hehe... I get to kill you... It's all alright... The plants are singing, they want the death!" The Demon shouted with her red and black eyes now only too obvious, glaring at them with the demented eyes crazily with a shimmer of dark bloodlust.

The pachirisu jumped back, landing next to the water type while twitching, stressed with what to do and agitated.

"Rina should heal them, as a water type most of them have a limited ability to heal. Come on, Tea. We have to take the offensive," Aki calmly ordered, seemingly not panicked in the slightest, only a hard edge to her words and the quiver of her tail betraying her.

She was barely standing, as for extra training she had fought most of the pokemon they encountered. The pichu's voice was certain, however, and something seemed to change in her. Aki felt extremely tired, but... Ready to take on what she needed to. If she could, that is. Which was only slightly impossible, at their level of experience.

"Right!" Tea agreed, but gave her new friend a slightly weary and minutely doubtful glance. It was understandable, as the situation was somewhat dire and she had only met the mouse the day before. The white fuzzy electric type took a deep breath and decided to just trust her instinctive choice. Being a distrustful friend was rude, not to mention pointless. Especially when it was good advice and they needed it.

Besides, Tea really didn't know why she wasn't trusting Aki in the first place. Perhaps it was paranoia, she thought as she dodged the first move of the battle: a onslaught of paper thin, dagger sharp Razor Leaf.

Rina hovered over the bulbasaur for a moment, her shell lightly sitting on his chest and running back and forward to check and put this or that on the defeated boss trio.

"Hehe... Fun... I get to hurt you little ones!" Laughed the grass type, swipping a vine at Aki. She narrowly dodged for the most part, the patch of grass slick with blood which made her nearly fall.

"Aki!" Tea yelped, seeing this but in turn was smacked in the face with a vine.

"Hehe... I went there... Haha... The King will surely be happy if I kill you lost lambs especially... HA!"

Aki sent a stab of weak thunder at the dark blue flower pokemon, it crackling as it hit nearly hit its target in the span of a nano second.

A frying, sizzling sound rung through the air and a fine blue mist of spores met it and the two attacks canceled eachother. The smell of sulfur strengthened to add to the stench of the sun heated dripping red liquid in the field.

The pichu expected to hear some form of exclaim after she helped Tea up. "Hehe... No more nicey nicey Laika."

"You okay?" Aki asked, her spiked ear twitching constantly.

"Y-yeah. We need a-"

Waves of sharp leaves flew at them, frenzies of wicked lashing vines trying to taste their flesh, and the vileplume stood with a hellish familiar smile growing on her face.

"Tea!" The mouse yelled, jumping away but slipping on more bloodied grass, the plants devouring her.

"Shoot!" Said squirrel shrieked, her dark eyes and Aki's wide violet orbs meeting for the briefest of times, paws outstretched in hopeless desperateness.

"Time to stop playing with you kitties, hehehe... Hehehahaha... HAHAHA!" 'Laika' bursted out in laughter, rolling all over the floor but not lessening in her pain game with the small pichu, pulling at her limps, ears, and tail happily. She played Purloin & Marill, pushing the pachirisu this way and that, but didn't notice Rina in the slightest, preoccupied with her prey.

The oshawott wanted to help, hearing the screams and blood boiling cries, the sickening hits and slicing. But she hardened herself, because there was only so much a water type like herself could do against a fully evolved, possessed grass type.

Tears fell down her fur, leaving streaks. Rina really hated not doing anything, only able to do minor healing for the injured. She hated that, too. Only stupid minor healing. She wished Miss Audrey could be here... The wise audino had always known what to do.

"That's it!" The water type said to herself, finding the panic button in the bag and slamming her paws on it, it creaking under the force but flashing pale red for a moment. Salty rivers flooded through her even more so: they might just be alright. Relief made her a bit giddy, if only a very little.

Finally, a yelp came from Tea after her puffy tail was swallowed by a thick vine. No matter how she twisted and turned, it wouldn't release her.

"Hehehe... I have two lovely pretties... Oh, that pichu is so strange... Hahaha... Little strange mousey!" Chimmed the grass type, twirling in the cascading brilliant sun and creating leaping shadows with her flowered head.

"Let go of me!" Struggled Tea, flailing unlike the very pale pichu across from her, the large purple eyes threatening to roll backwards.

"Don't be sad, little ones... Ha... It's all okay. The King says so!" Sang Laika, sounding like she truly believed it.

A small shower of dazzling blue spores fell on Tea, then reacting to it, falling limp.

Aki, fighting to stay awake, was now completely alert, frightened for her friend pachirisu. "L-let go of her! Of them all! P-p-please!" She coughed pathetically, crying and sobbing. Fate continued to trial her, and it continued to hurt more and more each time.

"Oh, little dearest... So sad, so unbearablely sad. You... Sick and twisted like me... Haha... Ha," chuckled the vileplume, a grin growing on her face.

"I... I know that. I know that! But they don't deserve this! It's my fault for alarming you! Please, let them live and take my life as payment!" The little electric type pleaded, her voice raw and scratchy.

"No... You... So sweet in killing... Hehehe..."

Aki tried to release all of her electricity, but only made a short spark. It was because her natural body reserves had depleted to the point she had been saplings her own lively hood away, it was a miracle in itself that she hadn't passed out from bloodloss. The grass type only continued to chuckle, a floral green ball of pure energy starting to form in her hand.

Rina was about to go insane, every fiber in her being telling her to fight. She couldn't help but be curious of Aki while shuddering with grief and rage, trembling nearly as much as her bellsprout client.

"No... I won't give up!" The pichu screamed, her usually tiny way of talking becoming loud and big, bouncing everywhere.

"You are scum, little one. Be taught place... Hahaha!" Said Laika, stretching the vines around Aki tenfold. The pichu fainted in response, her head lunging forward with a gurgling choking sound.

Then, the tables did not only turn, but flip over and go out the window.

The oshawott saw a black blur fly in like a bird, bouncing with great height into the air and with deadly force, smash down on the vines holding the two small pokemon.

For the smallest of briefest moments, she somehow felt a aggressive, fearsome switch in Aki. Rina didn't even know why she would sense such a feeling, and ignored it. It was probably just the stress and fear weighing down. After all, the poor spikey-eared pichu was knocked out for the count.

Because the impact was so great, unconscious Tea was thrown into the air and caught by Hope, the buneary who ran the Training Meadow.

The familiar unmbreon caught Aki by her scuff, landing by Hope with ease.

"Why are you taking my treat and lost one?! Why!?" Screeched the plant type, falling backwards in recoil and fright. Her tone was disorted, like the squeal of a bird, knifes on a chalk board, and like the yelp of pain from a Loudren all mixed into one.

"Damn filth," grunted Frau and sent a powerful Shadow Ball to her. She attempted to block it, but it easily burned through her vines and disintegrated them to smoking ashes.

Laika slammed into the cave wall, bleeding heavily and screaming uncontrollably. Rina had to look away as the buneary shot a dagger like ice beam at the wretched pokemon and Frau complimented it with a follow up Iron Tail.

Unfortunately, looking away didn't block the sickening slick slashing and thrusting, the otherworldly shrieks erupting from the creature which didn't sound recognizable anymore. Only those of a damnation. Of a Demon.

A shiver passed through the oshawott, unable to help herself. She really hoped that no one she cared for would ever have to go through that. Ever.

"You okay, kid?" Frau asked Aki and poked her limp back. He didn't get a response.

"She and Tea barely lasted til' you got here... There are the three boss pokemon, two in critical condition lying around here," numbly explained Rina who clutched the bag to her chest.

"Thanks for dat, Rina. Sorry ya had to go through dat deep shit and all, I hadn't heard anything bout dis crap. Yall go home and clean up nice, I gotta person who can heal dem others here," stated Hope as she gave Rina a akward hug and swiftly pulled a small device from her pouch. The buneary's claws dug into the grass and her teeth clenched in anger.

After all, this had happened on her very own training meadow. She was not happy. Not happy at all.

Hope showed this by punching a wall and breaking a hole in it, making a opening to a simple little homely eating room.

"Shit... Dat ain't no good. Dat's the second wall dis week," grumbled the buneary as she rubbed her head, as if she hadn't created a gigantic hole threw a stone two-ton wall out of impulse.

"Let's go, kiddie!" Frau said after throwing the pichu and pachirisu over his sleek lean back, and picked Rina up easily by her neck.

"H-hey! G-give me s-s-some warnING!" The oshawott screamed as the umbreon took off at breakneck speed which could actually probably break someone's neck.

The scenery was rushing by fast, as the black fox jumping swiftly from roof to roof. Trees looked like fresh broccoli, tiny and far away to where the forest was and the colorful mart tops flashed by like peaks at oddly colored rainbows.

Rina was screeching til her voice ran dry, terrified for her life completely. Healing and hearing the pained cries of your best friend and new friend, completely unable to do a thing and being barely held by the skin at the back of your neck while going through the air at 30 Arceus-damn miles per hour were diffrent. Much diffrent.

Suddenly, the oshawott was on her face. Well, that didn't matter to her too much anyway, besides the fact that it was a bit rough of a landing and that she had the distinct taste of grit in her mouth, interwoven with the foul traces of Demon stench from Laika, that vileplume.

"Get Audrey and the Master, now!" Frau barked at the nearby pidgeotto, Lester.

"Right away!" He responded with a crisp wing salute and promptly took up into the air, gliding as fast as his feathers could take him.

"Oh, is that you, Frau?" A tall, elegant gardevoir strolled ever so casually up to the dark type.

"Oh. It's the gay," the umbreon yawned with his mind miles away. He really hoped those kids would be alright. Especially that damn pichu, it would have to make up for blowing in his ear like it was a snot rag!

"The gay. The gay? THE GAY?!" The pokemon motioned dramatically, his arms adding to the theatrical effect.

"Yes. You are gay, annoying, and over all, I think you should die."

"Die... Die. DIE?!"

"Someone gag him, lock him in a closet, and drop it in the middle of the ocean with him in it. Please," Frau sighed as he rubbed a temple with his small paw and released the air with a hiss.

Everywhere else in the room was hushed, most ignoring the scene and worrying about the hurt students, some quietly gossiping. Soon, from the dry dirt stairs came the lovely Ms. Audrey as she jogged to the children plus two idiots. "What happend? What do I need to do?" She asked directly in all seriousness, her crystal blue eyes taking in the situation.

"A Demon treatment and probably a whole lot of extra healing for Tea and the runt. Rina has minimum injuries and should be fine with a days rest," the midnight cloaked feminine umbreon replied with a slight cold glint in his chilling ruby red eyes.

Rina tried to politely refuse the rest offer, but was quickly shot down by a overpowering glare from both audino and umbreon.

"Right. Nemic, do you mind giving us a lift to my room?"

The physic's soft pale red eyes glowed a brilliant bright pink, and the group found themselves in a large room made of the same dirt as the rest of the Den, with a large open window letting the refreshing breeze and misty morning air roll in. Beds of all shapes and sorts were laid about in no particular fashion, and one corner of the room was dedicated to the needed medical equipment and other items.

Audrey placed the two sleeping little pokemon on large off-white fluffy oval beds, them hardly sinking into the soft puff balls. "What's that stuff?" Frau curiously poked it, unable to figure it out. It was similar to mareep fur, but it had a cleaner, denser feeling.

"The hair of a Whimsicott," she said curtly without glancing at him as she went through her storage corner, Audrey's pink and pale paws rummaging around the mess.

Lemic left soon after, being fetched by a flustered Beautifly and literally dragged away by two hitmonchan who found themselves out the window and over the hills by a simple Physic. Rina had passed out by that point, next to a fitfully sleeping Tea, probably having a nightmare.

Silence filled the place, its presence all too loud and choking. Frau helped out Audrey, but there was still much to be done. First of all, the audino would have to do a medium treatment to the umbreon just in case, and the slumbering not-so-peacefully trio, but she couldn't until they were much more healthy.

The ugly bruising, the overwhelming loss of blood, and the trauma that was making them lose decidedly way too much sleep was more than enough a list of tasks before she could take the Demon traces in them. Then to treat the feverish colds, hellish headaches, and many more symptoms, it would take a week at least for Aki, a little less than a weak for the slightly more resilient Tea, and a day for Rina with probably aroma therapy every once in a while.

"Where are we?"

"Frau, for goodness sakes, will you kindly. Shut. The. Hell. Up?" Audrey growled tiredly, sore all over and especially irritated.

"Hey! That wasn't me! It was the brat!" He scoffed but quickly leapt to the pichu's side, or to be more accurate, the mummichu.

The small tiny mouse was covered in bandages, cords, and various gauze with sickly looking paste underneath. Her face was flushed and her purple eyes were barely able to stay open. Both of her baby pink soft electric sacs were hooked up to a small metal box by a blue and red wire, and similar yellow and black ones on her spikey ear and her nicked tail.

"Where am I?" She repeated in the same monotone, wondering why she was in some strange hospital like place. Wasn't Aki's room a snug little thing right across the hall from her brother's? Speaking of that, just where did her brother go?

Both of the care takers didn't know how to respond, unsure of what was racing through the clever little pichu's mind.

After several akward moments the memories of the last few days had started to trickle back slowly, her mind processing each with all the rush of a full snorelax, the hard truth crashing down on her again.

Salty clear droplets leaked against her will, Aki's eyes growing big in mortification as she held her fuzzy daisy yellow face. Quivering slightly, she hid her face from the two and whimpered quietly. After all, it wasn't easy to accept in the range of five minutes, over again for the second time.

The umbreon sighed heavily, and shook his head to himself. Audrey didn't expect him to climb on the bed and comfort her, even letting her hug his ear and cry into his slender neck. "Hey, runt, hurry up and heal. The test is coming up and you need training. Don't tell me you're going to let a little bump in the road stop you like some moron?"

"B-but I d-didn't do any-anything to s-s-save them!" The pichu sobbed, tightly and akwardly hugging him. She couldn't save her beloved, dear family. Hell, she couldn't even save her friends. What a pathetic excuse for a pichu she was. No, what a waste of something with life she was.

"There there, little moron."

"S-shut up, p-pervert."

"Ah, there's a feisty miget- WHO TOLD YOU THAT!?" The umbreon twitched, aware if he bolted up that the tiny mouse would be sent to the floor. And just who the hell would tell her that kind of thing.

His ruby narrowed eyes were also twitching in time with his tail, and his eyes drifted to where Audrey now wasn't. A note floated to Frau, right on Aki's head.

_"Dear Frau,  
__**  
**_

_This is common knowledge. I've seen those beastly magazines in the corner of your room before, a trust me, you're a pervert. Try not to hurt my charges while I go do something, please. And keep watch on the other two, but Aki especially. It's almost impossible for something of her tiny size to recover so fast. I have some theories, but I need to check them out for a bit. If anything goes wrong, Lem is close and will be there at your call._

_Yours truly,_

_Audrey_

_Ps: Don't be weary of Aki, she knows nothing about the topic. Take the trio when they're good enough to walk a bit to Hope as a friend of mine from medical school is there and won't mind giving them a treatment. Also, no killing Lem until I return. I won't ban hurting him though._

_What to do with my note: Eat it before Aki sees it! ;)_ "

Frau didn't get what she meant in half the letter, but he was befuddled what to do when said pichu's curious purple orbs poked out from under the thin material. "What's the letter about?" she quietly tilited her head in question, the used paper shifted with the movement.

"Duhhhhmmmm..."

Yes, that was his thinking at it's finest. Without much of a choice, he balled the sheet up as quickly as a four legged creature like himself could and rammed it in his mouth. Something he did not think of: Having a slender neck meant he had a small throat, unlike a muchlax or staravia.

So, in short, he fell off the bed choking and coughing while pounding his chest.

Several minutes passed of the two hitting his back or chest until he finally gulped it down. "Ah... Fuck, that was nasty. Audrey is a dead audino," he growled to himself after he hacked again.

Aki latched on to his ear, glaring. "What do you want?!" Frau sighed raggedly, laying down on the bed again with her.

"Don't use those words lightly," she demanded with cross eyes.

"What? Audrey being dead? I was only half joking about that. Next time I see her, she has quite some explaining to do," he nodded while glancing at her frowning childish features while he replied.

"No."

"You mean when I cursed? I was only expressing anger, migon."

"Migon?" She asked, clearly confused having never heard of the word.

"What you are. A miget and a moron."

The two bickered for some time, and with the falling sun and rising moon... They continued to bicker until Aki literally fell asleep. Frau laughed to himself about this, amused. His plan had worked, after all. The brat was getting some rest, which she very much needed.

He gazed at the starry skies where so many mysteries were, hidden to his gentle eyes. The dark blue-purple usually would've reminded him of the many injuries he had over the years that were and weren't treated, but he let himself enjoy the night for once. He almost had drifted to sweet dreams when he had caught the scent of something that wasn't supposed to be there.

"Lem..." He growled with narrowed red orbs that were nearly the same shade as a Demon's, his jet black fur bristling. With all the carefulness he could muster, he got up from around Aki's little form and shot off the bed and in less than a instant, he was out of the room and apon the gardevoir.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" Frau spat as he was the most furious he had ever been.

* * *

**Author's note: I'm so sorry about the lateness of the chapter, I feel horrible! I've been caught in life and newly restarted school, but I can't promise it won't happen again because of the before mentioned reasons. *hides under desk from being hit with bricks***

**I'd really like to know what you thought, especially the fight scene. It was probably the first I've ever seriously wrote, and feedback would make me really happy! Also, I'd like to know your thoughts in general for this story and my noob writing. :3**

**I shall eagerly await to hear your thoughts, and ideas or questions are great too!**

**Oh yes: I am not writing a Falling Feather anymore because I screwed it up with my bad skill and ability to smoothly enter plot into a story. However, I already posted the beggining of a new story which I promise to finish and I have many ideas for it. If you have extra time, you should go check it out if you'd care!****___  
_**

**If I don't update quick enough for you, I encourage you to bother me to the ends of time. Yup, yup.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Team Hope Flare: Chapter 4**

* * *

Two small eyes gazed right into her, no judging nor emotion held in them. Almost devoid of any feeling, but not quite. Usually, Aki would be terrified of these hauntingly familiar orbs, but instead she was calm and clear minded. It was a crazy thought, but they were nearly hypnotic and her thoughts were connected, crystal, and easy. Not a thing distracted her.

The color of the eyes boring into her were black and red. Not like a Demon's though, not full of rage, lust, or desire. One was the shade of the most bloodied ruby, the other of the never ending depth-less black. A bit unnerving, sure, but Aki couldn't help but think they were strangely beautiful.

"Hello, small one!" spoke a light hearted jolly voice which caught her quite off guard.

"Who are you?" She asked, brimming with curiosity sparked by the unfitting emotionless eyes and the happy go lucky speaker.

"Why, I'm the Demon King, silly. I'm a bit saddened you didn't figure that out by these cursed eyes of mine."

"Well, it wasn't as if I hadn't thought of that. But your cheerful tone doesn't reach them," she replied, motioning to the only two things she could see, the two things in question.

"Ah. A very wise observation, little one. I felt a very strong desire from that heart of yours, and I've come to ask if you'd like me to fulfil that," he asked calmly.

Aki thought about it very carefully. She knew that after her desires were filled, she would then be turned into a mindless thing. No longer herself, nor pichu, nor even truly living. How much she wanted to say yes- to she her family's loving smiles and warm hugs surrounding her as they once did so easily...

It frightened her- both answers did. If she said yes... Wouldn't she just destroy everything her parents and brother gave up? Just for her own selfishness?

If she said no... That would be denying she cared for her loved ones. Letting such a option go to waste... To see them and and have them with her...

"... I-"

"Hey pichu! Don't do it!" A familiar voice interupted her answer.

"Don't get in the way!" growled the unidentifiable Demon King, his eyes narrowing with icy rage in the abyss of shadows.

Lem walked next to Aki, picking her up with ease while radiating confidence. The small pichu silently wondered what he was doing and why he wasn't scared, being near the creature whom's life was intertwined just as deeply with death. Genocides, massacres, slaughterings. Then again, she wasn't that frightened. Only silently terrified to the bone, is all.

"You can't do anything to us while Aki's in the Den, much less when I'm here. While you are the Demon King, I know my own power and limits. We can certainly protect this poor pichu and save her," the gay physic smirked at the two menacing, spiteful eyes which plagued so many.

"Grr... Damn it all. You win this round, Lemic Jrack."

"That's-"

The entire scene evaporated before Aki, feeling herself fall too quickly into a fitful sleep which she would probably wake up in a worse mood that she had fallen asleep in.

"Ah... Didn't Audrey tell you I was watching from afar?" Lem akwardly asked as he was pinned down by Frau, sheepishly smiling.

"No! I mean, she did but... I could smell it. You were connected to the brat's dream. Why the hell would you do that?!" The umbreon grumbled threateningly, unsure of the other's motives.

Connecting oneself to another's dream, the visitor could warp it beyond imagination, a dark perversion of control and a perfect example of how fragile the dreams of one cold be, or really, how weak the mind could be.

Lem had a headache and honestly, forcing the god damned DEMON KING out of the pichu's dream had utterly drained him. Least to say, he was pissed he was being accused of turning the tot's dream into something bad.

"Frau, I fucking literally took the Demon King out of the pichu's dream. I am NOT in a good mood right now. And, please get off me. You're my friend, but you're also male."

"Holy hell, really? That's amazing! Then... I apologize. But why are you pointing out I'm- oh. You're a moron, you know that?" Frau grumbled as he quickly stepped off.

"Says the one with porno cluttered in a pile in his room," mused the guardevoir while chuckling as he stood.

"Really? Is it really common knowledge?"

"Do you want me to answer that?"

"No. No I don't."

"Then... Let's switch topics, shall we? Are you gonna raise the little girlie as your apprentice or something like that?"

The black fox sat down, considering it for a moment. "Yeah, I probably will. It would also be pretty good because I'm more exposed to the Demon King's crimes than most here. Of course, that is if she passes."

"A month left. Yesterday a rhyhorn joined the race, he's a good young chap," the physic stated as he scratched him chin.

"I don't think you should get a male apprentice," joked the umbreon as he poked Lem.

"He's way too young for me. Besides, rocks types just aren't for me. I prefer... Feisty dark types," the gay laughed as Frau grew a horrified expression, scrambling to the corner of the room, away from Lem.

"That better be a joke, Lemic."

"Of course, stupid. You're too mean."

The two bickered like a old married couple, play fighting a bit for a little over an hour as dawn broke through the grey clouds. Fester visted once, but had been truly scarred for life by Frau's and Lem's conversation after ten minutes. Lori had exchanged a few messages with them, using Lem's telepathic powers.

Three days later, all three of the injured trio had recovered completely due to the vast wealth of scientific knowledge the Den had access to.

"Ready everyone? We're going on a field trip!" Cheered Frau whom sat in front of the girls with a big goofy grin, his brilliant circles of yellow light that wrapped around his slim figure glowing more vibrant than ever.

"Really? A field trip?" Aki grumbled as she cradled her once again bandaged tail.

"Yup! Since you all have some sort of level of Demon Matter in you, and Audrey had to make a emergency call right after we came back, so... We get to go to Hope's!" Lem jumped in cheesily, with a large silly smile plastered to his face.

"I'm wondering if they've gotten brain damage in the time it took us to recover..." Whispered Tea whom had a shadow in her coal orbs that now held a dull glint where they once held the flame of passion.

Aki glanced at Tea, a bit worried. Tea had been like that since she woke up that morning, in a trance. Rina and the pichu had done their best to cheer her up, but it looked like she had fully realised the danger of the life and death situation they had been in.

While she wasn't too depressed or overly scared, she was much quieter. Less talkative (one of her major traits), less confident, jumpy.

Rina, now those terrible few minutes had a turn around affect on her. She was much more eager to learn, her desire to become stronger ever strengthening and to learn all she could. The oshawott never, never ever, never ever ever, ever, wanted to never feel so weak again. Unhelpful, basically a burden, able to do nothing but listen to the smothering screams of her friends and have it burn into her memories.

"Well, I want this done with. We're far behind our training schedule, and the test is in nearly three weeks!" Rina exclaimed while using the pale shell for emphasis on her words.

"Well..." Began Frau with a mischievous air.

"We took it apon ourselves that there were many late comers this year, and made a accelerated course!" Lem finished.

The group chatted on the way to the training grounds once more, this time like a group of injured prisoners attempting to escape a zombie apocalypse, as they hurried somewhat, most of the group limping in various places. Hope was probably not happy (well, she had punched a hole in a wall), they assumed, and were not too keen on irritating the hell out of her by being late.

Instead, the sight was far more frightening when they arrived a whole hour late because of Lem.

Apparently, someone had the brilliant idea of sneaking lacidives into his oatmeal that morning, and he was moaning constantly in pain as his bladder protested.

Lem also compared what pain he held in now, to what girls had to go through monthly. He eyed the young pokemon following tiredly but swiftly trudging after him alike the living dead, and wondered how they did it.

"I'm never having a baby!" He remarked loudly as they reached Hope's grounds.

"Dude, what the hell even goes on in your mind?! -Scratch that! I don't even want to know!" Frau sighed dramatically as he held his face in one of his small paws.

"Says the pervert..." Rina whispered with a glare at the two. Really, she should take Tea's usual insanity easily, but there was a limit to how much her young, curious mind could take.

So, in the end, her solution was to Scalp Chop the both of them and growled at them to shut up as they stood before the hole in the ground.

"Why is it always holes in the dirt?" Aki asked Tea quietly, pondering what she did to get this treatment. First, the den had a large hole being the doorway to a mountain's cavern, and then a hole in the ground.

"Maybe its because the Creator was a bit holey..." Joked the pachirisu, whom at the moment had been a bit more of her usual self.

Aki forced a light laugh, worried about her friend and stood there, wondering what she could possibly do. She hadn't imagined the look of helplessness in Rina's eyes that morning, whom had been constantly trying to help her best friend back into what she once was.

The pichu was mulling the issue over, that is, until Lem pushed her into the tiny hole.

Aki screamed like no tomorrow, nearly in tears, being frightened by the sudden change and lost of balance.

She landed on a cushion, and found herself next to the familiar buneary.

"Hi Hope."

Hope had a forlorn expression, as if it pained her just as much as the kiddies who actually fought the damnination less than a week before. Her youthful, brown face as consorted and twisted unnaturally into a large worried frown, her fuzzy forehead slightly wrinkled and her paws fiddling with her daisy yellow fluff.

"Ey', kid. How you holdin'?"

"... To be honest," Aki started as she attempted to tell the pokemon a few of her doubts and worries,"I got it off a whole lot better than Tea. It roughed her up, the memories..."

The brown bunny gave her a confident smile and half carried, half led her to a stone seat. "Ya can sit down, I'll be back in a mo'!"

Next came down tumbling Tea, then Rina. The two older members of the Den merely Teleported in, much to everyone else's dismay and anger.

"Why couldn't have we done that? We're the injured ones..." Tea muttered, grudgingly at the duo.

"Oh yeah..." Lem said slowly, remembering the whole reason they were there.

"Because its funnier," chuckled a amused Frau, a glimmer of laughter held in his red ruby eyes.  
Hope and the young guild students scoffed or snorted, some wishing the umbreon bodily harm.

"Anyway, my friend will be able ta take dat gross goop out of cha. Least I can do, for yah kids."

The members of the guild and the young students akwardly looked anywhere but the buneary's guilty face, all unable to comfort the normal type because they simply didn't really know how.

A sleepy blissey stumbled into the room, a groggy smile on its face. "Hullo. You're the people from the guild, huh?"

Lem nodded and pushed the trio closer to the half awake healer, mentally wishing they could be done with this, excited to help with the Accelerate the Noobs was what they originally called it. Lori had snorted and merely rolled her great big eyes at the name. So, it was now just the boring Accelerate Program.

However, don't let the less-than-enthusiastic name fool you- the course that the duo came up with while waiting for them to finish healing was a little bit more than crazy. And probably, not safe in the slightest.

Introductions were given, and small talk passed. Soon, after everyone had settled in, Hope made tea and Alaine, the blissey, got to work on the kids.

Lem and Frau sat in a corner, just admiring the beautiful, pure gold mist that looked ever so comfortingly familiar. Rina was first, eyes scruntched up well and closed, body tense with her paws clutching the shell.

The pollens looked as if they reflected the sun itself, shimmering as brightly and warmly as floating little embers from a brilliant fire, or like volbeat and illisume far away in the distance on a fair July night.

Rina felt the mixed confusion and panic from the odd way of healing she hadn't yet personally experienced herself melt, feeling like a slightly heavy ball of warm honey settled in her stomach. The scent of tea calmed her senses pleasantly and the doubt faded, only the burning sensation in her wing and on her forehead bothering her.

It was a... Unusual feeling, having Demon matter extracted from herself.

What could she compare it to? Like a very, very large liquid thorn embedded in her being pulled out, but also with a almost fond sweet watery fire spreading throughout her, from the ball of warm honey in her tummy. During that, her emotions were comfortingly dull, like hidden behind a thin veil.

Soon, she felt her entire body completely slacken, all tension gone in a dizzying wave. "Whoa..." Rina mumbled as she tried to stand up but fell back on her butt, shell in paw.

"The cute pachirisu next, please!" Alain chirpped in a singysong voice, patting the little bed the disconcerted oshawott had been moments ago.

Tea asked for a moment to get ready, tightening her muscles. She could constantly feel the dark crud ebb away at her positive emotions, what made her herself, her energy...

The pachirisu ended up falling asleep on her tail, snoozing peacefully and a calm expression forming her small face as the nurse did her craft.

"Your pachirisu friend will feel much lighter after this. Her species are emotionally effected by the Demon mater more than most, since its a total opposite from them. I'd advise another day of rest, and then she can train." The Blissy told the room, still wearing a sleepy look.

Aki sat nervously, playing with her large toes. She had seen it happen before, but that didn't mean she exactly had the want to have gigantic portions of the dark oily compounds float out of her body. Miss Audrey had of course, worked on her tail, but pichus didn't have many pain nerves there, unlike their evolutions.

Sit still, she thought to herself. Get it over with.

Aki waited and waited as the blissy looked her over, producing fine golden pollens. Nothing happened. The large pink egg shaped normal type then sent out a blue glittering mist, which she felt it actually pull the dark vapor in her wounds out.

"There. You're all done!~" sang the now awake Alaine whom patted Aki's head.

"Danks, Alaine! Means a lot and stuff." The buneary beamed at the round pink nurse, one of the scariest sights known to pokemon.

Alaine kept her smile, while the rest of the room flinched.

"Well kids, time to train!" Frau chirped after the akward moment passed and Hope made lunch for everyone, berry salad.

"You guys wanta use any of my train' rooms?" The buneary questioned the two experienced fighters. They passed looked to eachother, and refused.

"Uh, we... Erm, we have a..." The nervous and pressured dark type fidgeted, stomping on Lem's foot to finish his intelligent words.

"We have a whole plan and everything, including specific regions and stuff, so don't sweat it!" He gleamed a fail of a smile, although the tough girl didn't notice and deflated slightly.

"Oh... Have a good time then..."

The group smiled at her, and promptly disappeared as the gay Teleported them away.

* * *

Author's Rambles: Crapola! I certainly got busy. Geeze, I'm sorry guys, I lost motivation for the chapter for a bit, and got caught up with responsibilities.

Also, I've been practicing writing and started a trainer fic about Black and White 2, I loved the game.

As per usual, any criticism, suggestions, questions, and so on is always welcomed! Very, very welcomed.

Well... I love your reviews and thoughts, but I must run for now! Thanks as always, and remember: anything and everything helps in my reviews. (Except trolls. They can go chase a frillish or something creepy like that...)

Oh yes, and Halloween/upcoming holidays ideas! I have a few things thought of, but if you guys have any ideas, I'd love it.

Astala-pasta!


	5. Chapter 5

A pikachu-colored pichu sat up tiredly. He had an odd set of eyes, one the color of an abyss of hell, while the other, it was red as the ruby blood that splattered after one was messily murdered.

He had a handsome devilish grin, one that betrayed whom he actually was.

A silly, innocent pichu.

"Hey, Fabricated! Get up, we have lots to do today!" Said his chipper trainer as she stood and towered over him.

He hated being short. He genetically couldn't evolve, because of a birth defect. That was also why his fur was retarded. And his eyes looked cross eyed half the time, because of the shockingly diffrent colors.

"Chu!" (Yes sir!) He sang as he stretched his akward childish limbs that had a unseen strength from the experience he had.

Sure, his nickname was weird. At first, he hated it and his trainer. He hated everything then, though, so it wasn't much diffrent. Back then, he was a spiteful tot lost in the barren landscape of Orre.

Now he was in Hoenn with a perfect life and a lovely trainer, the strong beauty whom was going to become the champion any one of these days.

Fabricated shook the dew off his short yellow fur and ears, smiling pleasantly as the team woke up.

The butterfree, Pixen, lazily drifted in the air as she munched on a piece of pokefood. Her frizzy purple hair stood at odd ends from sleeping in a tree and brilliantly falling after a pidgey Pecked her in the midst of the butterfly's slumber.

Harvester the serperior slowly uncoiled itself, gazing out at the forest below them. Its delicately designed body shone as the dainty sun glared down on the green tones of the scales, power and muscles crawling underneath.

A blastoise, Hamlet, took its meaty blue arms out of its shell inch by inch with no amount of hurry. While it wasn't fast, the small critter could faintly feel the enormous force of crashing ocean waves coming from within the turtle's shell.

Umphress the umbreon hopped out of a tree, quick as a raring rapidash. His molten red eyes stared at the world coolly, his bright yellow glowing rings shining on the wet grass.

Lastly, a Ursaring woke up, simply laying there without the motivation to move. His name was Virtue, but everyone just called him Bob.

Fabricated felt his empty stomach, and sighed. The things he could hunt in this area were limited to fish. Yucko. Those slimy creatures were disgusting.

Seriously, and half of the catches were magikarp, probably living to troll certain hungry mouses. They tasted stringy, gross, and had an odd stickiness, the foul scent unable to get off one's tongue.

"Go catch food, you guys! I'll pick camp up!" His trainer said happily, a enchanting grin shining down at her pokemon.

Diffrent growls and cries of affirmatives rang through the air, and he sniffed the scents waffling through the dry breeze.

Everything in the area was very low leveled around the place they camped. He could faintly remembered around coming there long ago, a month or two after he met his trainer.

Fabricated thought it was then that he decided to join Lottie, or at least agreed to battle with her. The impressive sight of the tournament was still clear in his mind, the numerous fights earning shrieks and yells from the audience.

"Soon we'll reach the first badge breach!" The brown haired human girl spoke to herself, minimizing the tent she occasionally slept in when it rained or the allergies were too much to sleep with outside.

The pichu couldn't help himself as a chuckle escaped his mouth, thinking of how odd she was. While she couldn't understand him in speech, over the years he had perfected his understanding of the humans' language. However, while she could read his mood and movements, humans in that aspect were alien to him. He couldn't ever tell what humans thought, or what they were going to do.

Hell, Lottie surprised him daily with her odd habits and quirks.

The small rodent decided to put off his hunt for a moment, studying the tall girl.

Her lush, chocolate hair fell halfway down her back. Lottie had deathly pale skin, so pale that it was dry and a bit pasty. Her crystal blue orbs startled him every once in a while, and she stood at what he estimated to be five and a half feet.

She wore sharp black pants and a equally black blouse he had seen her wear a hundred times before. And as always, she wore her beloved black fedora her brother gave her when she left to journey.

Then, it was been so big on her. It hung low, tipping down to cover the bridge of her nose. It was cute, although she had grown so much from being a shrimpy human then, five years ago.

He focused on her freckles for a moment, the ones that ran across her face like a little shower of stars. Her figure was well matured, and Lottie was becoming quite the young lady. Honestly, her team killed a couple people who tried to do horrible things to her. And occasionally beat up those whom looked at her just a bit too long.

"Go, Fab. I'll be done soon, I swear. But you gotta eat, little guy!" She said in a joking, teasing tone as she poked the pokemon in the belly.

"Pi chuuuu..." (Lottieeeee...) He complained with a soft glare.

Fabricated trotted off into the woods, where he remembered a nearby pond. The sun floated higher in the sky, and after a rather terrible meal, they met the Badge Gate.

* * *

Aki woke up with a dull headache. Headbutting a ryhorn wasn't by any means the best idea she ever had.

Nor was attempting to chase the light footed pachirisu after a certain squirrel stole her lovely grepa berry.

The spikey-eared pichu groaned, hating the itchy sparse grass under her, the brilliant radiating sun, and basically everything between the pale silky blue skies and the dry cracked land.

The night beforehand, she had another dream of her family. And that, to be more precise, was a nightmare straight from the bowels of hell. The BOWELS of it!

That little visit from the Demon King scared her far more now than when she was in it. Lem had become her knight in silver armor then... But that didn't expell her terrors, or her hesitant thoughts and silent ideas taking place in her mind.

The thoughts of if the gallade hadn't come to her rescue at such a perfect time started to darken her mind. What would she have said, if she had been able to complete that sentence?

What would the others have done if she had finished it?

Aki was terrified to her core. The pichu couldn't remember that important decision that nearly came out on autopilot. And yet, she was almost sure she would've joined the Demon King's side.

The worst part of it all, she knew what would've, what could've happened if she had been able to finish her answer.

Her beloved ones reanimated by ghosts under his control or physics, and probably fool her with ease, making her crumble under the Demon King's influence as he carefully chose words that would doom her for forever and onwards.

Then her new friends in her new life would have to kill her. Aki really couldn't even begin to imagine how painful that might be, slaying your friends, having their precious blood on your hands. All because of natural desire.

"Hey! Aki, wanna go train by the creek edge?"

The pichu was startled out of her depressing thoughts by the heavy, large, unsteady steps of the familiar ryhorn. Her violet orbs blinked as she processed what he said ever so slowly, sleep still pulling on her.

Galliant, the cheerful, clumsy ryhorn had somehow become her sparring partner. The two got along well, and found they had many things in common.

Like their mutual hate for the D.K., their similar love for childish jokes and puns, their curiosity about general life, ect.

Aki quickly stood, stumbling slightly over her paws alike a lost togepi. The duo trotted down a fond little well traveled path to a small clearing next to a blue-green creek that held no life, for the exception of plants.

With no hesitation or warning, she leapt into the air and landed on his back plate, beside the hard spike/ridge thing, using that to steady herself.

"Hey!" He yelped, and turned to scold the Small Mouse pokemon, but she had already climbed atop one of the corners of his rigid head. Galliant, in surprise, froze and wondered what the sneaky pichu was trying to do.

Well, to be honest, he didn't have much more then about 3 seconds to think until Aki screamed straight into his ear hole.

His reaction wasn't immediate. He stood, wide eyed for several moments...

Then, Galliant charged straight into a tree, yelling bloody murder. The large, poor oak fell with a giant thud ontop of the two.

Aki fought, lost in the sea of branches. She panicked, her vision swarmed with thick green leaves and sticks. By the time little cracks of light came to her line of sight, Aki was already covered in scratches and cuts, looking like she had just come out of a dungeon.

Galliant, on the other hand, had the pleasure of a tree log happening to sit on him. It reminded him of a poor aching elderly pokemon resting for a moment on a bench, but then again, the circumstances were diffrent and he didn't like to think of himself as a bench.

"Wart wus drat kor?" He groaned with his words muffled by a sea of leaves.

"P-practice in ambushing and surprise attack, sorry." Aki mumbled in reply, feeling even more sore by now. Her round head poked out of the tree top, pulling herself out. Galliant couldn't move without drastically moving the tree which would end up hurting his training partner.

Once they were out of the tree's wrath, they started sparring as they had the last two weeks. Occasionally one of the instructors (really just Frau and Lem) would pop in for a visit and check their progress. After that, the teacher would show them this or that and tell them to learn it. Sometimes they had to search for items, other times helping around the forest residents.

"What now? We finished the Strike-Teeter method yesterday, and and we haven't got today's new tactic." Galliant asked Aki whom was thoughtfully chewing on a Pecha berry.

"Help out the forest pokemon again? But Frau told me that the last exam was coming up and we should be extra prepared... Oh, we need go have Rina and Tea to match against us!"

"Yeah!"

Half an hour later, a smugly smirking pachirisu stood next to a nervous oshawott. The two standing idly across from them were chatting about random topics, as Rina used every quiet way she could to catch the pichu's and rhyhorn's attention. All attempts failed.

When she fell face first into a bushy patch of grass, with one paw wildly waving her shell did the others notice.

"What's wrong, Rina?" The three casually questioned together.

"Aren't we supposed to be practicing?!" Rina dramatically pointed out. This fact just seemed to dawn again on the mouse and rhyhorn, although Tea just giggled.

"Remember, I told you about this? We have another person joining us today. Lem told me while you were making dinner about three nights ago. He apparently came in late, and his personality is disagreeable with most of the teams. For some reason Lem and Frau think he'll train well with the four of-"

"Hey."

The group turned to the harsh bark that came from a black and red fox with the most startling eyes Aki had ever seen- they were pure cyan. His atmosphere seemed rude and full of malice, almost like a kidish brat to her, like a whinny wynaut. The way he raised his snout in disdain, the sneer that showed his jagged teeth. Briefly, the pichu wondered why he was like this, but now wasn't the time to ponder it.

"Hello!" Tea chimed brightly. Rina just gave him a doubtful glance, not sure how to take the newcomer. Galliant had been a easy addition to the trio, with his polite and chivalrous qualities and not very serious act.

Tea had graciously yanked the curious pichu into the partnership Rina and the pachirisu shared. Rina didn't mind, and didn't even have to adjust much to the addition. Aki wasn't overly hyper, just for the most part calm and always giving a comforting atmosphere. It was pleasant, to Rina. Galliant was a easy change, as well. But she didn't like the vibes from the dark zorua.

Tea was just excited for a new face. "Heya-hiya-heyo, I'm Tea! What's your name?" She spoke loudly and quickly, to the point where it was almost a bit difficult to figure out what she was saying.

"... It's Cellovan. Remember it." He grunted, looking away from the colorful group.

"That's Galliant!" The pachirisu pointed to the rhyhorn. "The pichu is Aki, and the oshawott is my buddy Rina!"

"Whatever."

"So you're here to train with us today! Any questions or things we should know about?" Tea chirped, seemingly oblivious to the sour mood.

He turned his head away, ignoring the group as if they were as important as a tree in a forest. He merely grunted,"Hmph."

Aki was indifferent to the newcomer, and Galliant wisely said nothing.

"Hey, there isn't any reason to be rude! We're the ones helping YOU out, dude." Growled the ticked oshawott, liking Cellovan less by the second.

The three were surprised by Rina's cold welcoming. Usually she was sensible, level-headed, and always tried her best. All that jazz. But, she did have a point.

"I don't have to take this from morons like you." Cellovan muttered with displeasure and irritation trickling into his tone.

Rina was about to retort with equal venom, but Aki intervened sternly while Tea took the chance to calm her close friend.

"Look. You don't have to be here if you don't want to, Cellovan. The whole purpose of this operation is to further ourselves to become rescue team members. There is no reason to upset others, or in being rude." Aki said sharply and firmly, staring him down the best she could. His gaze was unnerving, but she had to try something, at the very least.

He didn't respond, studying the pichu carefully.

"A-Aki's right!" Galliant nodded, stepping beside her.

"... Fine." Cellovan stated, turning to a collected Rina. "Sorry, oshawott."

"I... I guess I'm too. I'm sorry for snapping at you. I don't take to arrogant pokemon easily, I apologize." She bowed slightly, looking anywhere but him. Rina was flushed, and holding herself back from snapping snarkily her name in correction.

Silence roared in the air, the breeze russling the trees slightly with bird pokemon taking to the sky to catch lunch. Clouds floated like weightless cottonee, with a azure sky painting similar to a peaceful, clean ocean. The grass under their paws flowed, a sea of green.

"Well, shouldn't we practice now?" Tea asked, smiling a toothy, brilliant grin as she ever did.

* * *

It was the second to last day, and all the fifteen students in the program were gathered around the far too familiar duo of a gardevoir and umbreon in a sparse field.

"Great job, everyone! Now, our final lesson which will take these last two days!" Frau said with a carrying voice, his stance proud and confident with a mischievous smirk that scared the majority of the young pokemon.

Next spoke Lem, saying,"We're going to make sure you know basic survival techniques, such as swimming or feeding yourselfs. We have the teams put together and will call them out in a moment. You have to be back where we began by tomorrow at noon. Good luck!" He winked and gave the audience a thumbs up.

"It's hard to imagine him on the same team with Master Lori." Cellovan muttered under his breath beside Aki, glaring at the instructors.

"I know, he doesn't exactly seem very strong or awe-inspiring, does he?" The pichu replied quietly, seemingly in a bit of a tired daze.

Cellovan glanced at her. He hadn't really meant to say that to her, but he guessed it was alright. "Do you think he's really good enough to fight at her side?"

"... Yes. I do. He may joke more than anyone else I know, and never take things seriously enough, but there isn't a doubtful thought in my mind that doesn't think he's at least on par with her." She said, dark bags under her eyes. Aki had another night mare, although they were all beginning to blur together, so she was starting to forget what she actually dreamed.

The pichu went on auto pilot as she answered, focusing on trying to wake up.

Cellovan pondered it over, wondering how she could be so absolute with her views on the matter.

Frau began listing the names out loud, the students eagerly listening.

Rina and Tea were a pair, as were Aki and Cellovan. Galliant was with a timid frostlass named Shano.

Galliant didn't really know what to think of the lady. She was very distrustful and shy, always having distance between her and everyone. Her voice was full of harsh coolness, and her gaze was always a freezing glare. But she seemed kind, just unsure about the people there and in a new place.

"Oh, yes. This is also a race, and a test. Now, you may... START!"

The pichu waved at Galliant and the oshawott-pachirisu duo, wishing them good luck as they went their own way.

"So which path do you want to take?" The zoura grumbled, looking at the slightly overcast sky. He always liked to plan ahead.

"How about we follow the river father south?"

"Wouldn't that take us farther from the starting point?" He asked, surprised by her proposal.

She gave him a small smile. "A breloom told me there was a bridge that way, with a clear road north. He said that its really pretty, the scenery along the way... Besides, this way we won't run into other competitors. They'll try to slow us down."

"Oh. Well, alright. It's fine, then."

Frau suddenly popped up between the two. "Still dwadling, kids?" He questioned.

"Hello, Mythic Rank Frau." Cellovan addressed him with his full title.

Rescue Teams of course had ranks, going from Broze to Mastered rank. Frau was extremely high up, being on the Mythic rank.

"Hi Frau. You have a cut on your ear, y'know." Aki pointed out, touching the mark lightly.

"Ow! Stop touching it, you brat!" He complained, staring at her with her blood red orbs.

She snorted and pressed down on it a bit more. "You're one of the guild's strongest and you're whimpering because of a scratch?" The pichu sighed and reached into her green tiny pack. She had almost fallen into it, trying to reach for bandages, but managed to quickly grab it and reel back before she tumbled onto her bum not quite so gracefully.

"That because you touched it! Who does that!?" The unbreon flailed, trying to bring out his point.

"I was wondering if it was your blood from a gash or something else." Aki explained with her usual calm stare and delicate thoughtful frown.

She tossed the small bundle of white thin gauze-paper to him, he catching it between his teeth as gently as a baby. He placed it at his feet quickly, going back to the conversation at hand.

"You could've just asked!"

"... It was faster."

"Oh really?"

The pichu almost retorted lightly, when her head snapped around, remembering her partner. "Sorry, Cellovan. Our usual pointless-"

"Pointless? How? My very lovely ear is NOT pointless!"

She merely rolled her eyes at Frau's usual over reacting and restarted her sentence. "Our usual pointless little arguments are probably boring you, or something of the like, no?" She finished with a tilted glance.

The zorua chuckled, and shook his head. "It's alright. But, we're running late. We should hurry up, or else we'll be beaten by the others.

"Yeah."

The umbreon snorted and shoo'ed them off, grinning widely. Aki noticed the odd excited glimmer in his eyes, the wicked accent of his dark smile.

As the duo reached the riverbank, Cellovan noticed the pichu seemed rather distracted from their calm, simple conversation. He only noted this however, curious of what she was thinking but not going to bother with something so trivial.

The trees were slim to none on their way, thinning out as they traveled.

"Cellovan?" Aki asked as they were in the midst of a peaceful break, munching on berries beside the silent river. The two draped themselves on the spongey greenery underneath them, relaxing and taking in the breath-taking sun.

The sky was ablaze with fiery orange and flaring red hues, painting alike a fire with pink traces here and there. The barest suggestions of the earlier deep blue above them was melting into rosy tints, clouds floating away to leave the sky barren.

"Hm?" He merely grunted, placing his half-closed cyan eyes on the pichu although mostly looking at the pretty sea of colour above him, almost in a trace by it.

It had the same affect on pichu, her own violet orbs softening apon the lovely picture-like image glowing far, far up.

"I've been thinking a bit. Don't let your guard down, if you can. That last look I saw from Frau betrayed his motives, potentially. It's just a theory, but I wouldn't trust him or Lemic not to start pulling pranks."

"I think you're probably over imagining things, Aku."

"It's Aki. Learn it, Cellovan." She muttered, a hair of crossness dipping into her tone.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." The black fox yawned, with wide jaws stretching, sharp little teeth shining under the warm drenching light.

She silently groaned, getting a bit fed up herself. One minute he wouldn't be too bad, easy and not back to talk to and the next he'd close up and be all snobish. At the very least, it was picking at her nerves.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hullo! The Kat is back! Sorry for the delay, I got rather busy. Anywho, I would like to say, next chapter will be a bit special! I would like you guys to ask any questions you have for anybody in the story, OR, even about the story. And if you wanna be sweet and boost my already huge ego, you can ask me questions! If you have ideas for a scene or even a special chapter, I'm taking it all in now!**

**Well, remember! Any questions, at ALL, about anything, one, or even a funny idea you had,can come right to me! Just a click away!**


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